The Philadelphia 76ers finally saw their dilly-dallying backfire on them as they just blew what was perhaps one of the easiest trade calls this offseason. Isaiah Joe, who was widely made available by the Thunder due to their cap situation, was just traded to the Pistons for chump change, giving the team another huge what-if to start the offseason.
As first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, Oklahoma City has decided to ship Joe away to Detroit for two second-round picks, a very meager price to pay for one of the best three-point shooters in the entire league for quite some time now. This trade provides the Thunder with massive luxury tax relief, as they have now reduced their luxury tax penalty by $140 million between this and the Aaron Wiggins trade.
Circling back to the 76ers, the price that Detroit had to pay was so minuscule that any other team desperate for three-point shooting could have easily outmatched it. Philly was definitely one of those team in dire need of firepower from beyond the arc, yet it is apparent that they probably never even offered that much, that is, if there was even one in the first place.
The 76ers fumbled the bag as Isaiah Joe heads elsewhere
The 76ers definitely did not thrive as an outside shooting team this past season. They were near the bottom of the league in all three-point shooting metrics, and it was very clear that the roster simply lacked players who were reliable enough to be counted on to make open threes without being unplayable elsewhere.
That is precisely why the new-look front office itself stated recently that shooting will be one of their main emphases this offseason. Yet the inaction on this front, which involves one of the most accurate long-range bombers in the league, runs counter to that soft commitment they have willingly put themselves in.
Joe has canned 41.5 percent of his three-point attempts since joining the Thunder. He has not turned in a shooting clip from downtown in his four seasons with OKC below 40 percent, displaying his consistency as a long-range operator. On defense, he can hold his own against bench players. His experience with the Thunder's mighty defensive infrastucture is also an asset in itself.
The 76ers will be hard-pressed to find a better and more proven solution to their three-point shooting woes than Joe. Outside shooting is expensive in and of itself, and with their former wing still on a very reasonable deal, the failure to secure him only becomes all the more regretful.
Add us as a preferred source on Google